I heard about this fantastic place called “Comfort Zone”. People advise each other to get out of their comfort zone. Once I heard someone urging people to expand their comfort zone and make it bigger. He was trying to put a different spin on the concept. I didn’t think the time was right to point out that making it bigger by expanding something was grammatically redundant. I am stuck in it, and I should aspire to get out of it because that’s how I will grow.
I talk a lot about continuously improving oneself and learning new skills. It is uncomfortable because it is unfamiliar. When life throws you a curve ball, you suffer some setbacks, overcome that challenge, learn a lesson, and grow. The idea is to build resilience for the future.
Sometimes, I don’t understand the fascination with being out of the “comfort zone”. What is so wrong with being in your comfort zone? What happens when you go outside? Is it bad if your life is not full of struggles? I don’t think so. If you feel like most things in your life are not a struggle, that’s a good thing. It probably means that you are naturally resilient and/or you have seen a few difficult days.
First, you and I struggle at different things, so there’s no point in comparing one with the other and feeling like shit about yourself. Secondly, your challenges occur in your life for a reason. There’s no point in running away from them; instead, face them head-on now lest they come back later. Third, if you feel like you aren’t being challenged enough, don’t look for trouble or misery because they will find you on their own.
My biggest struggle until now was taking care of myself and being independent. You may read this and think of me as immature. You may wonder who can’t care for themselves or that living alone is not a big deal. You would be wrong because I find it challenging, while you may find it easy. Conversely, I have never seen academic work as challenging, but many people experience stress. I don’t know what’s so tricky about it, but I respect that it is a challenge for them regardless.
I am resilient in some aspects, whereas you may be resilient in others. Rest assured, we all face issues in various parts of our life. There is a subtle difference between taking up a worthy challenge and doing something unnecessary.
Enjoy the period of peace until it lasts. You will face a problem that will bring you down drastically. If you are worried about building resilience, I appreciate you for thinking about that because not everyone does. The key is to look for small instances of discomfort in daily life. You can challenge yourself to learn a new language or master other skills such as swimming or dancing.
There is no nobility in austerity. You don’t have to go to extreme lengths by putting yourself in unnecessary danger. The biggest hurdle to becoming tough is becoming lazy and complacent. No one experiences smooth sailing all their life. If your life has been smooth sailing, enjoy it but brace yourself for the storm because it’s coming for you.